Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: camden, forbidden planet, london

London's Mega City Comics Saved, Renamed As Forbidden Planet Camden

Mega-City Comics of Camden, London, has been saved after being bought by Forbidden Planet and renamed Forbidden Planet Camden

Last year, Bleeding Cool reported the news that the longstanding London comic book store of 44 years, Mega City Comics in Camden would be closing after the owner Martin Kravetz retired. We then heard it would be continuing under new ownership. And now we know how. Mega City Comics at 18 Inverness Street in Camden Town has been bought, lock, stock and two smoking long boxes by Forbidden Planet. It will now be known as Forbidden Planet Camden, but will retain the Mega City logo on the signage.

Martin Kravetz commented, "I am delighted to be placing the future of the store in such safe and capable hands. Linking the world's largest comics retailer with one of this country's oldest indie comic-book stores, still trading from its original location, is a proud achievement."

Mega City's sales staff, Vik and Jack, will be staying on with the store and joining the Forbidden Planet team. Renamed Mega City Comics at Forbidden Planet, they will briefly shut their doors for some behind-the-scenes renovation work but intend to re-open the store in a few weeks with a major Forbidden Planet reopening event. In the meantime, online customers are encouraged to switch to ForbiddenPlanet.com, while Vik and Jack will continue to take care of all their existing customers with a Mega City Comics shop save account.

A Forbidden Planet rep told me, "We're very proud to be securing the future of this vital Camden institution – and continuing Mega City Comics' singular relationship with its valued long-term customers in this unique London borough, one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world. Camden Town is the focal point of the UK music industry, the cradle of Britpop and the epicentre of Japanese anime culture in London. Where else can you buy award-winning comics & manga and immediately celebrate with a round of drinks at The Good Mixer?"

Forbidden Planet's owners, Vivian Cheung and Nick Landau state, "In this time of unprecedented volatility in the direct comics market, we are both genuinely pleased to have some positive industry news to share. We're very excited to bring Mega City Comics, our favourite landmark of supremely cool Camden Town, into the Forbidden Planet family, and it is our great honour to be continuing and respecting Martin's personalised and highly impressive legacy."

Forbidden Planet's chief operating officer, Andrew Sumner, added: "I've been a massive fan of Mega City Comics ever since I was publishing magazines out of Camden's Greater London House in the 1990s. I was a regular three-times-a-week customer of Martin's and purchased hundreds of the decade's greatest comic books from him. I also spent many happy hours chatting with Martin's lovely dad. The minute I heard Mega City might be closing, I knew we had to keep this exceptional store alive!"

One of the UK's oldest comic book stores, Mega City Comics, was established by Martin Kravetz in 1981 when he was still at university, initially as a mail-order business, before opening a physical store in Camden in 1987, where it has stood as a cultural landmark since. It has hosted events with Alan Moore, Jamie Hewlett, Pat Mills, Simon Bisley, Brain Bolland, Gilbert Shelton, Craig Thompson and Matt Wagner, and taught Andrew Lincoln just who this Rick Grimes character he was auditioning for. In 2010, they were awarded the King Of Camden honour for excellence in local retailing. After 43 years, the London comic shop Mega-City Comics based in Camden, was to close as Martin Kravetz has now retired but says that he couldn't find a new buyer. Looks like that situation has changed rather rapidly.

This also makes Forbidden Planet the largest chain in London with three stores, in Covent Garden, Croydon and now Camden. Forbidden Planet is the world's largest and best-known science fiction, fantasy and cult entertainment retailer and the largest UK stockist of the latest comics, graphic novels, anime toys and manga. It was originally opened in London in 1978. Mike Lake, Nick Landau, and Mike Luckman founded Forbidden Planet alongside Titan Distributors (later to be sold off as Diamond UK). Landau, Luckman, and Lake is also a fictional organisation appearing in Marvel Comics, named for the original three founders. They later paired with James Hamilton and Kenny Penman, owners of the Science Fiction Bookshop in Edinburgh, to open stores across the UK. In 1992, the original chain split into two firms, Forbidden Planet and Forbidden Planet Scotland. Nick Landau retained control of the London and English Forbidden Planet locations, and Lake helped form Forbidden Planet Scotland, later renamed Forbidden Planet International, with stores in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland. Luckman, meanwhile, took over ownership of the New York City location. It is the London/England Forbidden Planet that has bought Mega City.

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